Freedom
by LisaM2
Summary: GGLH, The "missing" portion of "Lady Heather's Box", between the kiss and tea in the morning. Rated R for sexual situation and BDSM-related content.
1. Default Chapter

"I want you to think about something before we begin, Gil," she said, evoking a puzzled look from her companion. "Why are you here, with me, now?" As she expected, he did not offer an immediate answer, but looked at some point only he could see in the space just over her head. She waited, not moving, for the answer. He lowered his eyes to meet hers again before he spoke.

"I admire your perceptiveness. I am intrigued by your work. You understand and are comfortable with yourself in a way few people ever are." he replied. She smiled, but remained silent, knowing he had not yet completed his answer. "I am drawn to a beautiful, intelligent and confident women," he added , with a small smile and a slightly less serious tone.

"Thank you, and I could say similar things about you. Most people outside of this world cannot, or will not, take the time to see it for what it truly is. You are a rare exception. You know it is not about pain, or exploitation, or sublimation of the sinister. It is about the sensuality of power, the integration of the primal with the ethereal." As she spoke, she ran her hands down the front of his dark shirt, opening each button with deliberate care. His hands rested on her shoulders and did not move to her face until she was silent, opening the last button and awaiting his response. 

This time, the reply was in the form of a kiss. He moved his hands through her glossy dark hair to cradle her head while he kissed her, long, deep and insistent. Her hands slid under the open shirt and her palms ran over the smooth skin of his chest and then his back as her arms encircled him. When the kiss ended, he guided her head to rest on his chest while they both took a few slightly shaky breaths. She lowered her hands to quickly pull the bottom of the shirt out of his pants, and glanced up with the hint of a question in her eyes. Before she could verbalize it, he replied "I will not say 'stop'." She smiled and unbuttoned the cuffs of the shirt before slipping it off his shoulders and turning away briefly to drape it over the seat of the vanity. 

When she turned to face him again, he set about the task of releasing her upper body from the rigid black velvet corset in which it was encased. The laces were in the back, but he knew that the hooks and eyes, concealed under a satin flap in the front were the key to her bodily freedom. She stood still and silent, enjoying the look of rapt attention on her companion's face as he worked his way down the row of heavy steel fasteners. She did not move until the final one was released, and her full breasts were available to his smooth hands and warm lips . 

"Yes, please" she murmured, as he simultaneously cupped her breasts in his hands and lowered his head to kiss the narrow space between them. Her hands moved from her sides to glide up his biceps, across his shoulders and come to rest on the back of his head, with the finger tips hidden in the soft curls of his silver hair. 

His tongue made a warm, wet trail up the side of one firm white mound, stopping at the summit to encircle the hard, pink nipple before pulling it into his mouth with enough suction and flicks of his tongue to make Heather gasp in pleasure and pull his head still closer. The pressure of his mouth on her distended nipple increased, while his hands curled around the firm flesh they held, squeezing harder as her response intensified. His thumb and index finger moved up to capture the free nipple firmly between them, and roll it in time with the oral stimulation being given to its twin. 

He could feel the soft vibration of her low moans through his lips just before they traveled to the other nipple to provide it with the same treatment. One hand maintained contact with the breast he was savoring, but the other moved lower, then around her waist to the back of her skirt's waistband. A moment later, the skirt covered her elegant high heeled shoes, leaving her in only stockings, a black lace garter belt and matching Felina thong. 

As much as he was enjoying the taste and feel of her, he had to raise his head then, in order to see the sight of sensual perfection that was before him. Heather had moved her hands back to his upper arms, and was exerting a slight upwards pressure, encouraging him to rise from his act of possession with her breasts. He took a step back, his hands now resting on the sides of her hips and his eyes turned a darker shade of blue as they traveled the length of her almost-nude body. 

Lady Heather was the farthest thing from an inexperienced girl, but something in the quality of his gaze, completely focused and overtly sexual, made her want to give him the power, give him the aspect of herself she valued above all others. She had been the beautiful and self-controlled Dominant for over ten years now. Tonight, she wanted something else. She wanted the freedom of not being the one in control, of not guiding a novice, or going down the demanding path of domination for the gratification of another. As Grissom's eyes rose to meet hers again, she knew exactly what she wanted tonight, and she knew, beyond any doubt, that he would provide it.


	2. Freedom, part 2

Freedom, part 2

"There is something I want to show you," Heather said, causing Grissom's eyes to rise from their study of her lower body and the lingerie in which it was partially clad. His smile and raised brows indicated to her that he was amused and curious about what else she might be willing to display for his viewing pleasure. She knew the question before he could ask it and replied "No, not _that_, something else." She took a step back, sliding her hands down his arms until his right hand was joined to her left, and she led him towards the large walk-in closet on the other side of her room. 

She turned on the light with a tap on the circular dimmer switch just inside the door, and adjusted the bright track lights above them to a more subdued level of illumination. Her companion was taking in both the well organized lay-out and the contents of the windowless room, momentarily fascinated by the rush of intimacy he felt, surrounded by her personal belongings. 

On their left was a collection of her "work clothes"; leather jeans, chiffon gowns, silk robes, and more. On the right, what he assumed constituted her "street clothes", mostly solid colors and simple designs one might see on any number of stylishly attired business women. At the end of the closet was a honeycomb of cubical wooden shelves which held shoes in a wide variety of styles and colors, everything from plain white Nikes to jeweled metallic sandals and red patent leather pumps with sky-high heels. Heather turned to glance at her guest and caught him perusing the footwear collection before them. "You like my tribute to Imelda Marcos?" she asked, with a smile. 

"Very complete collection, I would think," he replied, pretending to study the wall of shoes even more carefully, "But didn't she have several hundred pairs?"

Not missing a beat, Heather replied "You have only seen _one _of my closets, Gil." Before he could reply, she released his hand and reached into a cube which housed a pair of Victorian style black lace boots. He heard a latch click, and she pulled open the hidden door on which the shoe shelves had been mounted. Behind the door was a small room, apparently another closet. She flipped the room's light switch and his eyes opened a bit wider upon seeing the contents. 

Like the more accessible part of the closet, this annex was organized by style and purpose. A tall bureau with numerous shallow drawers on top and two larger drawers at the bottom was on the left side of the room. To the right, Gil saw a floor to ceiling bookshelf containing a small library of oversize paperbacks and bound books, several unlabeled binders, and a shelf of magazine holders, also unlabeled. Curious about Heather's literary interests, he glanced at the shelves for a moment, but before he could read any titles off the spines, his attention was drawn to the wall directly in front of them. A wire grid of one inch squares was attached to the wall, with hooks, hangers attached to one side and narrow shelves protruding from the other. An array of exotic power exchange accessories hung from the hooks or were neatly positioned on the shelves. 

Grissom's eyes were immediately drawn to the array of floggers, hanging from the top row of hooks like decorative oversized tassels in a Victorian parlor. He knew he had seen enough at the Dominion to know their purpose, but he was surprised by the variety of colors, textures and sizes on display. Smooth leather, velvety suede, and even fur was represented in the collection.

Hanging next to the floggers was a collection of wide leather straps of varied lengths, a short signal whip, a braided snake whip and two riding crops, one short and one long. He took it all in while Heather watched his expression change from surprise to fascination. Before he had a chance to ask, she said "These are only for my personal use, not work." She could see a look of relief cross Gil's face. She removed a red suede flogger from the wall and dragged the soft falls over her breasts as he watched, transfixed by the sight. "Would you like to feel this on your skin, Gil," she asked, "just like I am feeling it?"

"Yes, show me" he replied before he felt the thin strips of suede caress his bare skin. She began by pulling them up his right arm, wrist to shoulder. The sensation was delicious, like a caress by soft and light fingertips. She paused for a second, then brushed the falls against his chest, watching his reaction. He shivered and closed his eyes for a moment when the tips of the falls grazed his nipples, making them hard. Heather smiled and moved the leather ribbons down his left arm. His eyes were open again and he spoke, barely above a whisper "Very nice."

"Yes, these are more versatile than one might think. Any one of them," she said, with a glance back to the selection on the wall, " can be used to create a variety of erotic sensations, and they can give both pleasure and pain. They are one of my favorite accessories." Grissom was focused on the remaining floggers on the wall, wondering if she had any particular favorites among them. She saw him start to form the question and waited patiently for it to emerge.

"And which ones do you find most pleasing?" he began, then looked unsure of himself before adding "When you are not in the Dominant role, I mean."

Heather smiled at his unnecessary discomfort, turned away, and placed the flogger back on the hook from which she had removed it. "I am most pleased when I am with a partner who makes me want to give up that role for a time, as I am now." She turned to face him again and reached up to encircle his neck with her arms. Gil's arms wrapped around her waist, and he kissed her again, starting soft, and then building the passion, gauging her response to this first level of intimacy. He could feel her body relax against him, even as she returned the kiss with an enthusiasm equal to his own. When the kiss ended, they stood silent, with her head resting on his shoulder. She was the first to speak.

"We can try some of the things here, or none of them, as you wish, Gil." she said, barely above a whisper. "I want it to be your choices tonight." 

The sound of her words of surrender sent a current of excitement all over his body, and he pulled her closer. She could feel his erection against the thin material of her lace thong. If she had chosen to take charge of the evening, she would have been on top of him by now, riding until they were both exhausted, but she was prepared to follow his lead.

"Come with me," he said, releasing her from his arms, and taking one of her hands to lead her back into the bedroom. When they were in the middle of the room, he turned toward her and continued. "Look at me." Their eyes met, and she waited for his next instruction. "I want you to submit to me tonight, Heather, to trust me and to help me make the experience all you want it to be. Will you do that? Do you want that?" he asked.

"Yes, I want all of that, Gil. I trust you and want you to feel free to be in control of me tonight. I know you need this as much as I do," she replied.

He kissed her lightly on the forehead before taking a few steps back, giving her a long head to toe visual examination, and starting their scene with one word. "Strip!"


	3. Freedom, part 3

Freedom, part 3

It had been years since Heather had accepted commands, and she felt as if she was that younger, less jaded, version of herself again. The excitement of giving up control was there, but with an edge of anxiety. She was drawn to this enigmatic man, both physically and intellectually, but she was unsure where his psychosexual desires might take them. His open fascination with her and her world led Heather to trust her intuition, and dispose of the veneer of detachment that she had perfected for use in her professional scenes. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and released it slowly, willing her mind to be calm and her body ready to serve.

The slow and deliberate visual inspection he was giving her confirmed her feeling that he understood the psychological elements of what they were about to begin. Although she had not asked, preferring to allow him to reveal more of himself to her in his own time, she sensed that he had participated in power exchange scenarios in the past. Once she made it clear that she wanted to give up control, he had not hesitated to take it. The timbre of his voice when giving the first command told her that he was into the dominant role now.

She removed her shoes first, glad they were strapless pumps, so she did not have to bend over and lose sight of Grissom's expression as she complied with his order to remove her remaining clothes. She pushed the shoes away with one foot and began to release the clips from the tops of her stockings. When all four were undone, she reached for the edge of one stocking to lower and remove it. Before she could begin the baring of her thigh, he spoke again. "No," he said, in a calm, but still commanding, voice. She froze and looked at him questioningly. "Turn around and bend over while you take them off," he continued. For a moment, she was stunned, and almost embarrassed by his order, but she complied, in spite of her reluctance to lose sight of his face.

She kept her feet on the floor, bending forward to roll first one stocking, and then the other, down to her ankles. As she bent to a more acute angle, she could feel his undivided attention on her blatantly displayed ass. She straightened her body, and stepped out of the black nylons with ease, pushing them towards the abandoned shoes. As much as she wanted to turn around to gage his reaction , she waited for the next instruction.

"Continue," he said, and she realized that she was not yet completely naked, as he wished her to be. She reached behind her waist to release the three hook and eye closures on the garter belt, and it joined the shoes and stockings on the floor. She hooked a thumb into each side of the thong, but before she could remove it, he spoke again. "No, turn around, face me." His voice was softer now, but had lost none of its power over her. 

She turned and met his gaze. He gave a slight nod to indicate that she was to complete her task, and his eyes followed the thong as it traveled down the length of her perfect legs. When it reached her feet, he took a step toward her and extended his hand. She understood, stepped out of the undergarment, picked it up, and put it in his hand. He smiled in approval and put it into the front pocket of his pants. His gaze traveled the length of her now completely accessible body. Although the room was warm, she shivered slightly in anticipation of whatever he might have in store for her.

"Close your eyes," he directed, and she complied. "You are beautiful. Just the sight of you is pleasing to me, but I want more," he continued, his palm grazing her cheek. He moved closer, and her arms instinctively rose to wrap around him. Both of her wrists were immediately captured by his hands and pinned against her back while he kissed her, long and hard. 

Bondage and other forms of physical restraint had always been exciting to her, even though she had not been on the receiving side of them for a very long time. As much as she had wanted to hold him in her arms, she was thrilled that he held her wrists firmly and was denying her that pleasure. She responded enthusiastically to the kiss, and pressed her bare body against his still partially-clothed one. Both of them could feel the change in her. The tension in her muscles relaxed and her anxiety was forgotten as her body yielded to his physical control. 

The kiss ended, but he continued to hold her arms immobile while he kissed her forehead, her cheek, and then her neck, just below her earlobe. She sighed in pleasure as the little chills created by his lips on her neck traversed the length of her body. His lips left her skin to whisper his next words to her. "I have to get something now. You will kneel, keep your eyes closed, and wait for me." He relaxed his grip on her wrists, and moved her arms back to her sides. She did not respond verbally, although he had put no restrictions on her in that regard. Instead, she managed, with his help for balance, to go to her knees.

He stroked her hair for a moment, then walked away from her.

Heather could hear Gil's muffled footsteps on the carpet as his distance from her grew. She concentrated on the sound, compensating for not having her visual sense available with which to track his movements. She was sure he would be in the closet by now, since she could no longer hear any movement, and she focused on keeping her breathing even and deep, as she had learned to do in the beginning, when she was new to power exchange scenarios. The slow rhythm of inhalation and exhalation was calming, both physically and mentally, and allowed her to drift into the submissive state of mind from which she could give her power to another. 

Linear time felt suspended when she reached her destination, and she did not know whether he had been gone for one minute, five, or fifteen. She both heard and felt his movement toward her, and fought the urge to open her eyes and see what he might have selected from her toy closet. She knew that she would soon find out soon enough.


	4. Freedom, part 4

Freedom, part 4  
  
"Very nice. You are exactly as I left you. Now, Heather, I  
  
am going to cover your eyes so you can concentrate on your other  
  
senses. If you are not alright with that, or anything else, you are  
  
to tell me. Is that understood?" Grissom said His right hand was  
  
stroking her hair while he spoke, and she tilted her head toward the  
  
caress as she answered yes, in a voice so low he could barely hear  
  
her. He walked around her, once again enjoying the view of her  
  
lovely body from above, and stopped when he was directly behind her.  
  
In his left hand, he held a black leather blindfold, lined  
  
with thick white woolen fleece. He gathered her hair into a ponytail  
  
and lifted it off of her neck, then slipped the elastic band of the  
  
blindfold under her hair. Using both hands, he lowered the eye  
  
covering into position. He felt her shiver and release a deep breath  
  
she had been holding for the past few seconds, and smiled, knowing  
  
this was working for her.  
  
Grissom placed his palms on her shoulders for a moment, then  
  
moved them down to grip her upper arms, pulling up and helping her  
  
return to a standing position. His arms encircled her from behind,  
  
pinning her arms against her sides. He lowered his head to kiss her  
  
shoulder, working his way from the top of her arm to the base of her  
  
graceful neck. She sighed and he pressed the front of his body  
  
against her naked back, adding gentle nips to the kisses which were  
  
now moving up her neck. When he reached her earlobe, he tightened  
  
his grip, pulling her closer. She could feel the thick contour of  
  
his hardness through the material of his pants, pressed tightly  
  
against her ass.  
  
Heather moaned and shifted her hips to position his erection  
  
between the warm globes of her behind. She was of two minds, wanting  
  
him to do it now; to throw her on the bed and take her, but also  
  
loving the luxurious tension of their increasing desire. He lifted  
  
his lips from her skin to speak, barely above a whisper. "You are  
  
beautiful and you belong to me tonight, Heather. You will trust me  
  
and do anything I require of you." She nodded her assent, and he  
  
kissed her neck once more, then released her from his grasp. In  
  
contrast to his warm touch, the air felt cold on her skin.  
  
Then he was in front of her again, and he took her right  
  
wrist in his hand, lifting it to waist level. She sensed a shift of  
  
his body's position, and wondered if he was going to step away from  
  
her, but his fingers remained curled around her wrist. When he  
  
did release it, she immediately felt his grasp being replaced by the  
  
soft fibers of a rope. It was wrapped twice around her wrist before  
  
she felt his fingertips caress the inside of her arm, above and below  
  
the rope, and then his palm resting flat against hers. To her  
  
surprise, she realized that Gil was winding the rope around his own  
  
wrist. He completed the action by manipulating the loose ends one-  
  
handed until they formed a square knot, effectively binding the hands  
  
of the controller and the controlled together.  
  
He lowered their joined hands, and used his free hand to  
  
stroke her breasts lightly, making her shiver when he grazed the  
  
nipples. "Come with me," he said, taking a step to one side of her,  
  
and she followed, more due to her automatic response to his voice  
  
than to the physical connection the rope had created.  
  
Navigating her own room gave Heather no cause for concern,  
  
even without the benefit of vision. She knew he was taking her  
  
toward the bed, and she smiled. Soon, she would have what she  
  
desired even more than the deliciously building tension; the full  
  
length of his body against hers.  
  
When they were almost to the edge of the bed, he stopped, and  
  
turned to face her again. "You are going to help me with something I  
  
have wanted to do since the moment I saw you," he began, moving their  
  
joined hands up to cup her right breast. He used his free hand to  
  
curve her captive palm in a half-circle around the outside, while  
  
his hand to which it was joined completed the circle from the inner  
  
side. His thumb moved in a slow rhythm over her nipple while he held  
  
her other wrist firmly behind her with his free hand and kissed her,  
  
long and slow, on the lips this time. He could feel her pulse racing  
  
as he moved his soft lips across her cheek, stopped the motion of his  
  
thumb and then spoke to her again. "Now you are going to show me  
  
everything, Heather, because that is what I want, everything."  
  
He heard a small moan in response to his declaration, and  
  
released his grip on the arm he had keep tightly pinned during their  
  
kiss, moving her hand up to rest on his shoulder. He moved their  
  
bound hands slowly and deliberately over her other breast and then  
  
down her body, over her gently curved belly, and then lower, into the  
  
upper edge of the soft, straight hair covering her sex. His  
  
fingertips slid down the insides of her fingers, then stroked the  
  
thin skin between them, and she sighed in pleasure at the unexpected  
  
detail of such a sensual caress. "Anything you want," she  
  
thought, "anything."  
  
Gil could feel her body ease into a more relaxed and  
  
compliant state, and he could see her lips move to form the  
  
word "anything", even though no sound came from her. He smiled, and  
  
knew she was ready now. He moved his free hand down her back, and  
  
flattened his palm against the expanse of skin between her waist and  
  
ass, bracing her body. Then he drew their hands lower, to the heated  
  
pool that had formed between her legs. When he touched her slick  
  
and hard clitoris, she gasped and her body jerked involuntarily from  
  
the intense stab of pleasure.  
  
"Do it with me, Heather," he instructed in a calm and  
  
commanding tone which belied his exponentially increasing  
  
desire. "Right now, do what I am doing," he continued, and he moved  
  
his fingers down to her drenched entrance, then paused, waiting. Her  
  
index finger pressed against his, and she followed as he led their  
  
hands in a complete intimate exploration, both internal and  
  
external.  
  
He had made her his partner in her own sexual submission, and  
  
the feeling of her hot and wet walls, tight against both their  
  
fingers was magnificently exciting. He murmured his pleasure in her  
  
and praise for her while they probed and stroked and stretched her.  
  
He knew just how to use their combined hands for maximum stimulation  
  
of the most sensitive spots and her hips were soon thrusting toward  
  
him in response.  
  
"Gil, please, I-" she began, gasping for the breath to form  
  
her words. "I want you inside me, now, please. I-" He smiled and  
  
stopped the motion of their hands, waiting. "Please, please, I can't  
  
take much more, it is too-" she went on.  
  
"You want to stop? I will stop if you want me to." he said,  
  
curling his finger to make tiny circles on the spot inside her  
  
vagina, behind the clitoris. She gasped again, torn between the  
  
pleasure and her desire for more. She shook her head, no, but her  
  
free hand moved to grasp his erection through the material of his  
  
pants, making her request completely clear. He slowed and then  
  
stopped the maddening massage on her g-spot and gradually withdrew  
  
their fingers. He knew it was time.  
  
"You may remove the blindfold," he said, and Heather reached  
  
up with a trembling hand to stretch the elastic band and pull the  
  
blindfold off over her head. For a moment, her eyes remained closed,  
  
and he stroked her hair back into place. When her eyes opened, he  
  
was looking directly into them with an intensity that made her feel  
  
as if the center of her body had just done a 200 foot freefall.  
  
She looked down, entranced by the sight of their bound  
  
wrists. For all of her experience with restraints, she had never  
  
seen a scene in which the Dominant and the submissive were joined  
  
this way. She did not speak, but Gil seemed to hear her  
  
thoughts. "I will take you without the rope, if you wish, or we can  
  
stay this way a little longer." She did not know how to answer,  
  
having barely heard anything after "I will take you." He waited, but  
  
only for a few seconds, to be sure she did not yet need to be freed,  
  
and then reasserted his control over her. "Sit down, and finish  
  
undressing me," he ordered, and she immediately lowered herself onto  
  
the edge of the bed. She overcame her hands' shakiness and removed  
  
his pants and boxers quickly, finally being rewarded with visual  
  
confirmation of the arousal she had felt earlier.  
  
She wanted to wrap her lips around his thick and ready cock,  
  
but held herself back long enough to gaze up at him and wordlessly  
  
ask permission to take the privilege of serving him orally. "Oh  
  
yes," he answered, "now." She leaned forward to lick the tip, then  
  
circle the head with her tongue before sliding her moist lips down  
  
the hard shaft, taking most of it into her mouth.  
  
Fellatio was an act she had rarely performed during the past  
  
decade, but at that moment it felt perfect to her. It thrilled her  
  
to know the moans she was hearing were the result of her lips and  
  
tongue caressing him. Almost too soon, he was moving back,  
  
extracting himself from her luscious oral ministrations. Before she  
  
had time to mourn the loss, he jerked the knot of the rope loose,  
  
quickly unwound the rope from his wrist, and pushed her back onto the  
  
bed. Before she could make an independent move, he grasped and  
  
lifted her hips and thrust his full length deeply into her.  
  
The explorations they had done earlier had left her ready for  
  
this rough invasion and she cried out from the sudden pleasure of  
  
being filled completely. The self-control and consideration for  
  
Heather's comfort Gil had shown earlier was now replaced by the  
  
animal need flowing between them. Within seconds, the first waves of  
  
orgasm crashed over her and she pushed her body hard against his. She  
  
felt the end of his cock prodding repeatedly against her cervix while  
  
the white lights flashed behind her eyelids and her vaginal walls  
  
clamped down hard, claiming him as aggressively as he was claiming  
  
her.  
  
She was perfect, he had time to think, just before her orgasm  
  
triggered his own. The release was almost painful in its intensity  
  
after such a long build-up, and his voice joined hers, calling out in  
  
glorious desire fulfilled.  
  
Even after the orgasms had receded and they became  
  
consciously aware of their surroundings once more, both felt the  
  
small aftershocks that follow the most intense earthquakes. He  
  
stayed buried inside her until their bodies stilled, and the wild  
  
creatures they had become had returned to their civilized, human  
  
states. He withdrew slowly, enjoying the final moments of friction  
  
before the air chilled his thoroughly wet cock, balls and thighs. He  
  
saw Heather shiver as they broke contact, and bent to kiss her almost-  
  
smiling lips lightly. He turned back the covers and she sighed in  
  
gratitude, then wiggled beneath their warmth. He wanted nothing more  
  
than to rest against the luscious and satiated body before him, but  
  
he made himself resist the urge long enough to retrieve a hand towel  
  
from the bathroom. He wiped the liquid proof of their mutual  
  
pleasures from first Heather and then himself, making them both more  
  
dry and comfortable for the sleep which beckoned.  
  
As he crawled under the covers behind her, wrapping one arm  
  
around her completely relaxed form, he felt the loose ends of the  
  
rope, which was still wrapped loosely around her wrist, lying on the  
  
sheet. "I'm sorry. I forgot to take this off," he began, propping  
  
himself up on one elbow and preparing to remove the remnant of their  
  
mutual bondage. Her other hand covered his to stop his actions, and  
  
she turned to face him.  
  
"Gil, please let me sleep this way. I want to see it when I  
  
wake up and immediately remember everything," Heather said, with just  
  
a hint of her assertiveness returning. He smiled, and agreed to her  
  
request, silently overjoyed that this particular detail of a long-  
  
held fantasy had worked so well for her, too.  
  
He lowered himself back onto the pillow, and just before  
  
sleep overtook them both, whispered "There will be much more. Much,  
  
much, more." 


End file.
